The present invention relates to an oil-and-fat feedstock for production of cream by a specific formulation with particular physical properties. It also relates to a low-oil cream composition produced from such an oil-and-fat feedstock.
In recent years, there has been a demand in the field of food industry on the development of low-caloric, light and soft food with varying the habit of eating and with increasing the intention of health.
Although fresh cream obtained from fresh milk is excellent in view of its flavor, body and the like, it has a very high fat content and is not necessarily suitable in veiw of the recent demand for the development of low-caloric food. In addition, fresh cream has unstable physical properties and is expensive.
It has been proposed to produce whipping cream having stable physical properties from vegetable fats and oils. By using such whipping cream, it is possible to produce food of lower caloric value than that obtained with fresh cream. However, such whipping cream does not ordinarily exhibit stable physical properties after whipping, if the content of oily ingredients is not greater than 40%, based on the total weight of the cream. Therefore, attempts to decrease the content of oily ingredients have been made for the purpose of attaining a light flavor a decrease in and calories. That is, JP-B 62-118855, JP-B 63-32421, JP-A 64-51054 and the like disclose various methods in which a particular emulsifying agent is added to cream in a great amount. Also, a process for producing low-oil cream is proposed in JP-A 2-100646 by adjusting the amount of lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient and solid fat content (SFC) in cream.
However, these kinds of whipping low-oil cream have the following disadvantages. For example, in the case of cream characterized by the use of an emulsifying agent, the addition of a selected particular emulsifying agent to the cream in great amounts is required for the purpose of attaining stable physical properties of the cream. Even if the physical properties of the cream are said to be stable, this only means that the texture of the cream is achieved with air bubbles held as a result of the function of the emulsifying agent. Such a kind of cream has only a small portion of the original good taste provided by oil, and the flavor thereof is significantly deteriorated by the addition of an emulsifying agent in great amounts.
In the low-oil creamy oil-and-fat composition disclosed in JP-A 2-100646, the solid fat content (SFC) of oily ingredients contained therein is not less than 50% at 5xc2x0 C. and 30% to 40% at 15xc2x0 C. Such oily ingredients exhibit a relatively gentle curve of the solid fat content (SFC); therefore, even if a cream composition is produced using these oily ingredients and then whipped, it is difficult to obtain whipped cream having sharp melting properties in the mouth and cool feeling. This composition exhibits poor shape retention when left to stand at room temperature. Further, with a decrease in the oily-ingredient content, the physical properties of the composition, such as over-run after the whipping and capability of making artificial flowers (decorations) are seriously deteriorated.
One object of the present invention is to provide a low-oil cream composition which does not require the use of a great amount of a selected particular emulsifying agent, even if the oily-ingredient content is low, has good over-run after whipping and capable of making artificial flowers, exhibits good stability at room temperature and possesses an excellent flavor as well as excellent and melting properties in the mouth. Also provided is an oil-and-fat feedstock for production of the cream composition.
As described hereinafter, it has been found that the above problems can be solved by combining certain amounts of lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient and SUS-type triglycerides in oily ingredients. In addition, it has also been found that, when fresh cream (cream containing milk fat) is added to feedstocks so as to provide the flavor and body of fresh cream, the properties of the whipped cream are deteriorated in respect to artificial flower making capablility and shape retention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-oil cream composition containing milk fat which has good shape retention after the whipping and has excellent capability for making artificial flowers as well as good flavor and possesees a body comparable to fresh cream.
In general, conventional oily ingredients having a high content of SUS-type triglycerides are disadvantageous in that any cream composition prepared therefrom has quite poor emulsion-stability and has a tendency to cause the so-called xe2x80x9cthickening (plasticization)xe2x80x9d. It has, therefore, been said so far that the conventional oily ingredients are unfavorable as the raw materials of whipping cream.
However, the present inventors have studied in detail the original function of oily ingredients, and found that the above-described problems can be solved by combining a lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient with the conventional oily ingredients which are rich in SUS-type triglycerides. Further, they have succeeded in obtaining, with the use of such a mixture of oily ingredients, a low-oil cream composition having good whipping properties, excellent stability at room temperature, as well as extremely good flavor and melting properties in the mouth.
That is, one aspect of the present invention relates to an oil-and-fat feedstock for the production of cream, which comprises SUS-type triglycerides at an amount of at least 25% and a lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredients in an amount of from 5% to 60% based on the total weight of the oily ingredients, and a low-oil cream composition produced by using the feedstock.
The present inventors have further studied a combination of the oil-and-fat feedstock comprising a mixture of oily ingredients rich in SUS-type triglycerides and a lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient with fresh cream. As a result, they have succeeded in obtaining a low-oil cream composition having good whipping properties, excellent stability at room temperature, as well as extremely good flavor and body, which is comparable to natural fresh cream, by mixing a separately prepared emulsion of the above-described particular oily ingredients and fresh cream (cream containing milk fat) rather than emulsification of all feedstocks of cream together, i.e., with prevention of the integration of all or most all of the oily particles in the respective ingredients.
That is, another aspect of the present invention relates to a low-oil cream composition which comprises a mixture of an emulsion comprising SUS-type triglycerides at an amount of at least 25% and a lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient at an amount of from 5% to 60% in the oily ingredients [hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as Emulsion (A)] and an emulsion comprising milk fat [hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as Emulsion (B)] and, based on the total weight of the oily ingredients, the content of SUS-type triglicerides being at least 20%, the content of a lauric-type oil-and-fat being from 5% to 60% and the content of milk fat being from 5% to 25%. All the percents used herein relating to the amount of the ingredients are by weight.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccreamxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccream compositionxe2x80x9d refers to an oil-in-water (O/W) type or water-in-oil-in-water type (W/O/W) emulsion having whipping properties which contains base materials such as oily ingredients, proteins, water and other ingredients. Such cream or cream composition may also be called xe2x80x9cwhipping creamxe2x80x9d. When this cream composition is whipped so as to hold air bubbles therein, with a whipping tool or an exclusive mixer, it will become xe2x80x9cwhipped creamxe2x80x9d, so called in general.
Similarly, Emulsion (A) and (B) of the present invention contain oily ingredients, proteins, water and other ingredients.
Hereinafter the present invention is further illustrated in detail.
The oil-and-fat feedstock for production of cream according to the present invention is characterized in that it is composed mainly of a lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient and an oily ingredient rich in SUS-type triglycerides.
Examples of the oily ingredient rich in SUS-type triglycerides (2-unsaturated-1,3-disaturated triglycerides) are palm oil, illipe butter, shea butter, hardened or fractioned oil-and-fat ingredients thereof, or interesterified oil-and-fat ingredients obtained by introducing saturated fatty acids at the 1- and 3-positions of triglycerides contained in oily ingredients rich in unsaturated fatty acids at the 2-position of the triglycerides. The fatty acid residues thereof have from 8 to 22 carbon atoms (they may contain a small amount of short-chain fatty acids). Examples of the 2-unsaturated fatty acids are oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid.
Examples of the lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredients are coconut oil, palm kernel oil, or hardened, fractioned or interesterified oil-and-fat ingredients thereof.
The oily ingredients of Emulsion (A) contain preferably at least 25%, more preferably at least 35% of SUS-type triglycerides. Further, the lauric-type oil-and-fat is added at an amount of from 5 to 60%. When SUS-type triglycerides are too little, or the lauric-type oil-and-fat is too much, it is difficult to whip the cream composition finally obtained. When the lauric-type oil-and-fat is too little, the emulsion is liable to be broken during the production steps. In addition, a small amount of other oily ingredients can be added. However, preferably, the solid fat content (SFC) in the oily ingredients of Emulsion (A) is not less than 50% at 5xc2x0 C. and not less than 40% at 15xc2x0 C. so as to provide sharp melting properties at about body temperature.
The cream composition of the present invention has an oily-ingredient content of not greater than 40%, preferably 10% to 35%, based on the total weight of the composition. For using Emulsion (A) together with Emulsion (B), the amount of oily ingredients in Emulsion (A) is preferably at most 35%, more preferably form 10 to 35%. When the amount of oily ingredients in Emulsion (A) exceeds 35% and fresh cream, which normally has a high oily ingredient content is used together, the total amount of oily ingredients of a cream composition becomes too high and the composition is liable to cause thickening.
Typical examples of proteins to be used in Emulsion (A) are milk powders such as skimmed milk powder and whole milk powder, thick beast milk and the like. They provide the composition with milk flavor. In general, as solids-not-fat, they are used at an amount of 3% to 8%, preferably 4% to 7% based on the total weight of Emulsion (A).
Emulsion (A) may further contain various salts and an emulsifying agent. As the salts, conventional salts for use in cream, such as alkali metal salts of phosphoric acid or those of citric acid, can be used. As the emulsifying agent, any of conventional emulsifying agents, such as soybean lecithin, diacetyl tartrate monoglyceride, sucrose fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters and sorbitan fatty acid esters, can be used. In particular, when diacetyl tartrate monoglyceride is used, the low-oil cream composition having better over-run and mouthfeel can be obtained. The amounts of these ingredients to be added may be as small as about 0.1% for the salts and about 1% for the emulsifying agent, based on the total weight of Emulsion (A).
Emulsion (A) can be produced according to an ordinary process for production of filled cream or imitation cream. That is, the above respective ingredients of Emulsion (A) can be emulsified by a conventional emulsification technique. However, it is desired to carry out the emulsification under such conditions that oily particles become as fine as possible rather than those for a mere pre-emulsification. Normally, the emulsification is carried out by, after pre-emulsification, further subjecting Emulsion (A) to homogenization according to a conventional technique. When the above ingredients are mixed with fresh cream and other ingredients without carrying out this emulsification, even if homogenization is carried out afterwards, it is difficult to whip the emulsified product obtained, or the shape retention and capability of making artificial flowers thereof after the whipping are deteriorated, and the product has poor flavor and does not possess the body of fresh cream. The homogenization may be either so-called pre-homogenization or post-homogenization which is carried, out before or after pasteurization or sterilization, or may be two-step homogenization as a combination of both. The pasteurization or sterilization can be carried out according to a conventional technique, for example, by ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilization for several seconds. However, it is not essential to carry out the pasteurization or sterilization during the preparation of Emulsion (A).
Emulsion (B) may be fresh milk, so-called fresh cream obtained by concentration and separation from milk and, usually, it is commercially available. In many cases, the oily ingredient content of fresh cream is 45 to 47% but the oily ingredient content of fresh cream is not specifically limited thereto. Emulsion (B) may be cream reconstituted by adjusting the oily ingredient content with milk solids such as milk fat, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder and the like to the desired content.
Then, Emulsion (B) is mixed with Emulsion (A). The mixing ratio can be suitably selected. Preferably, the mixing ratio is adjusted so that the total oily ingredient content in the cream finally becomes not more than 40%, preferably 10 to 35%, and that, in the total oily ingredients of the cream, the SUS-type triglyceride content is not less than 20%, the lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient content is 5 to 60% and the milk fat content is 5 to 25%. If the SUS-type triglyceride content and the lauric-type oil-and-fat ingredient content are outside these ranges, the desired effect obtained by limiting these oily ingredients as explained with respect to the above-described Emulsion (A) is scarcely expected. In addition, if the milk fat content is less than 5%, poor flavor and body is provided, although no influence on physical properties of cream is observed. On the other hand, if it exceeds 25%, whipping properties and shape retention after the whipping are deteriorated.
In the case that Emulsion (B) has been pasteurized of sterilized and, in so far as the Emulsion (A) has been emulsified, they may be mixed with each other in any step and then, preferably, the mixture is homogenized. More preferably, after pasteurization or sterilization and homogenization of Emulsion (A), they are aseptically mixed.
Then, according to a conventional method, cooling and aging are carried out to obtain the desired low-oil cream composition.
Hereinafter, as embodiments of the present invention, low-oil cream compositions were produced according to the formulations illustrated in each Example. In addition, the cream compositions before whipping were incubated at 20xc2x0 C. for 2 hours, and then stirred for 5 minutes, followed by evaluation for the occurrence of thickening, over-run after the whipping, shape retention at 5 to 20xc2x0 C. and the like. Whipping was carried out with Kenwood mixer. The results of comparative experiments are illustrated in each Comparative Examples.